


Doctor Sung vs Pyramid Scheme

by PurpleFunkyDishwasher



Category: TWRP | Tupper Ware Remix Party (Band)
Genre: Brigade Verse, Gen, TWRP Big Bang 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:09:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27696749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurpleFunkyDishwasher/pseuds/PurpleFunkyDishwasher
Summary: Following a cloning mishap, Doctor Sung takes it upon himself to bring the clone-gone-rogue to justice.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 8
Collections: TWRP Big Bang 2020





	1. Chapter 1

Sparks flew into the air as the last component was added to the device’s innards. A spherical panel was placed on top and was promptly screwed down.

Doctor Sung picked up the device and smiled.

‘It’s complete!’ Sung exclaimed as he burst out of the room. Lord Phobos, who had been reading and relaxing startled, flailing his arms and dropping his book.

Once over the sudden fear, Phobos turned and signed, **What’s complete?**

Meouch and Havve - who had heard the commotion Sung was making - entered the room.

‘This!’ Sung triumphantly held up the purple, spherical device which fit so perfectly into his palm.

‘So, what’s it do?’ asked Meouch.

‘It’s a cloning device,’ Sung explained. ‘It creates a copy of an individual which can then be controlled with the buttons - here, on this side - and recalled at will with a push of this button.’

‘That’s amazing!’ Meouch beamed. ‘Let’s give it a whirl.’

‘I don’t think that would be the best idea. It still needs to be tested in a controlled environment- hey!’

Havve snatched the device out of Sung’s hand. He turned it over in his own hand, looking at the device’s surface in its entirety.

Sung lashed his hand out but wasn’t quick enough. Havve threw the device into his top left hand and held it above his head.

‘When has testin’ anything in a “controlled environment” been any fun?’ Meouch smirked. ‘I say we take it out for a spin on our next mission.’

‘But it could be unstable,’ Sung replied hurriedly. ‘There could be any number of flaws in its design, and who’s to say this thing actually works yet? We might work it into our plan only to have it backfire at the last second.’

‘Those in favour of testin’ out the Doctor’s new toy?’

‘It’s not a toy-’

Meouch, Havve, and Phobos raised their hands.

‘All opposed?’

Sung pumped his arm into the air, only to hesitantly lower it when he realised there was nobody else in the room to agree with him.

‘It’s settled, then.’

**I did hear some rumours recently,** Phobos interjected, **when we were on Thauron-V. It sounds like some government official went missing overnight.**

‘Sounds perfect!’ Sung exclaimed. ‘Like a task that will only require our collective brainpower and no additional hardware whatsoever.’

Meouch grinned. ‘We’ll see about that.’

Being little more than a desert, the planet of Thauron-V wasn’t privy to receiving visitors. With the four ships touching down for the second time in as many weeks, the civilians who covered themselves from head to toe in a weak effort to protect themselves from frequent sandstorms watched on in awe.

They had seen these aliens before, yet acted as though they had touched down for the first time.

‘Do we know this guy’s name?’ asked Sung.

Phobos put his hands up to begin signing but hesitated. **Verna… something.**

‘That’s not very helpful,’ Meouch remarked.

‘But it’s better than nothing.’

Sung approached a nearby civilian, who was unable to take their eyes off the cone-headed man.

‘Excuse me!’

The civilian jerked upright, their body shaking in fear.

Sung held up his hands, open palms facing towards the civilian.

‘We just want to ask some questions, if it’s alright-’

The civilian began stepping back.

‘I don’t think you’re gonna get through to ‘em, Doc,’ Meouch remarked as he came to stand by Sung’s side.

The civilian, upon seeing the humanoid lion, began to tremble - their fear surely only amplified by the fact that they had never once seen a lion in their life, nor knew what such a creature even was.

‘Hm… Do you think it’s the language barrier?’

‘I’d say so.’

‘We had an interpreter last time. Think we could get her back?’

‘She charged an arm and a leg,’ Meouch recalled. ‘Remember? She said she needed it for sustenance, I don’t think we can get away with doing that again…’

As the two conversed, the civilian looked back and forth between them, eyes wide as tears built up.

‘Oh yeah, that wouldn’t fly - I’m not even sure where those limbs came from. Lord Phobos, you wouldn’t happen to know the local sign language, would you?’

The civilian’s eyes were torn away from the cone-headed man and humanoid lion before them and turned to the mysterious, helmeted alien. The alien shook his head and signed something they didn’t understand.

‘Maybe I can simplify it then.’ The cone-headed man turned back to the civilian. Speaking slowly he asked, ‘Do you know Verna… something?’

Fearing for their life, the civilian fled.

‘What a nice guy,’ Sung remarked.

‘There’s gotta be someone here who can help us,’ said Meouch. ‘This place isn’t too big - if we split up, we could have this done in the hour.’

Havve tapped Sung on the shoulder. When Sung faced him, Havve held out the device.

‘We’re _not_ using it.’ Sung snatched the device back.

‘An extra pair of feet _would_ get the job done quicker…’

‘I already told you, it’s untested!’ Sung exclaimed. ‘And this is _not_ a safe environment to be testing new things. What if the clone was dangerous and escaped?’

Meouch laughed. ‘I don’t underestimate your power, Doc, but I don’t think your clone would be a particular threat to the people.’

‘Let’s not test that theory. Now then, say we split up and meet back…’ Sung looked around - doing a small spin as he did so - before pointing at a sandstone building, similar to all the rest. ‘There.’

**It looks just like the other buildings.**

‘It has those symbols carved into it, see?’

‘Y’know what it says?’ asked Meouch.

‘No, but we don’t really have a way to find out other than to check it out.’

**But first we should get back to the task at hand.**

The other three nodded in agreement.

In some stroke of luck, the building that Sung had pointed out was akin to a tavern. Unable to understand the spoken _or_ written language of the locals, the four sat around a wooden table with no food or drink to their name.

‘Let’s go over what we found,’ Sung suggested. ‘I came across some friendly locals. Very… accommodating. But they seemed more interested in trying to take me in and make sure I was happy and well than answering my question.’

‘So you didn’t find anything?’ questioned Meouch.

‘I found that they have some very interesting food here. Nothing relating to our search for Verna-something, though.’

**I wasn’t successful either,** continued Phobos. **One individual knew the local sign language and seemed eager to talk.**

All eyes around the table were fixed on Phobos.

‘And?’

**They got angry at me. There must have been some crossover in signs and I must’ve said something they weren’t happy with.**

Sung turned his gaze to Havve, whose red eyes glinted in the somewhat dim tavern lighting.

Without a word it was easy enough that Havve’s visage - ignoring the fact that he had committed plenty of crimes in his past - was enough to scare off even the toughest of these folk.

‘We’re never gonna find this Verna character!’ Meouch near roared.

**Be quiet,** signed Phobos, **you’ll attract attention to us.**

‘Hey.’ The four looked up to the owner of the feminine voice - a human woman with arms loosely crossed, backed by three men, all of whom looked like they had thrown a punch or ten in their lives. ‘You guys looking for Vernasen Bryor?’

‘ _Finally_ ,’ said an exasperated Meouch, ‘someone who can _help_.’

Sung nodded and stood from his chair. He held out a hand and introduced, ‘Doctor Sung. We’re looking into the disappearance of… Vernasen, was it?’

The woman looked down at Sung’s hand and back to eye level. ‘Alex. If you know what’s best for you, you’ll keep your nose outta this. Got it?’

‘You know something?’ asked Meouch.

Alex glanced over to the lion. ‘Nothing you need to know - except that it’s in your best interest to stay out of this. _Or else_.’

One of the men behind Alex ran his thumb across his neck.

Havve stood, his large frame making him all the more menacing, and glared at the man.

Nobody stood down.

And silence passed between them.

‘Come on, boys.’ Alex took a piece of paper from her back pocket and smirked as she held it between her fingers. ‘We have some business to attend to.’

The four watched as Alex’s crew left the tavern.

Sung took his chair with gusto. ‘So they definitely know something.’

‘Without a doubt,’ Meouch agreed.

‘We just have to find out what they know. That doesn’t sound too hard.’

**We were looking at the same people, weren’t we?** signed Phobos. **There’s four of us and four of them, but I don’t think we would fare well in melee combat.**

‘Hey, who said anything about combat?’

‘They did look strong,’ considered Meouch. ‘Even with the big guy,’ he nodded his head over to Havve, whose expressionless features almost appeared proud of this title. ‘I don’t think we’d get far, or possibly get out with all of our lives.’

The four sat in thought for a couple of minutes before Phobos signed, **It is possible that we could outnumber them.**

‘You said it yourself, there’s only four of us. How could we-’ suddenly, Meouch’s face was filled with a grin as he looked at Sung. ‘You’re right, there is _one_ thing…’

Sung looked around to confirm that all eyes were indeed on him, waiting expectantly. ‘This is about the device, isn’t it?’

Havve nodded.

‘I told you, it needs to be tested. And we shouldn’t get into a physical altercation if we can avoid it.’

‘We can use it as a distraction,’ Meouch suggested, ‘while one of us gets the information. There’s no shame in retreating.’

‘There’s still danger. It would be best to avoid it all together.’

**Then we can use it as a last resort. Try to get what we can and fight only if we have to. The Commander’s right - we can always retreat.**

‘Sitting here talkin’ won’t get anything done anyway.’ Meouch stood. ‘The longer we stay here, the more time they have to get away. Let’s see that device and give it a shot.’

Doctor Sung sighed and handed the device to Phobos.

‘Y’don’t trust me to use it?’ Meouch smirked.

Havve, equally as offended, touched two of his hands to his chest, as though to signal that _he_ wanted a turn with the device.

‘It’s not that I don’t trust you two, but…’

**Doctor Sung trusts me more.**

Sung smiled apologetically. ‘You have to aim this - see the little buttonhole? - towards me, and press this button on the top. Make sure you don’t touch _any_ other buttons, they’re still experimental. Don’t let it move until the clone has fully materialised. Got it?’

Phobos nodded.

Sung stood back against the wall. ‘I’m ready.’

Phobos did as he had been instructed, and a blue beam that spanned out in a cone like a projector light shot out towards the Doctor.

Sung winced, but did his best not to move.

Beside him, an image began to appear. From the feet up it spawned in blue, flickering like a CRT television. The three watched on in quiet awe, and Phobos did his best to keep the device steady.

Once the blue image had materialised, it began to fill out with colour until a perfect replica of Doctor Sung stood beside him.

The original Sung stepped forward and took the device back from Phobos.

**That’s amazing.**

‘And it can clone anything?’ questioned Meouch.

‘In theory,’ replied Sung, looking proudly on to the clone who stood, living, breathing, in wait of orders. ‘But I won’t be trying it any time soon.’

Meouch smirked. ‘You could always use more of us-’

‘I’m already testing the device - don’t push your luck.’ Sung pulled his attention back to the clone. ‘Now, here’s what we need you to do…’

On the far outskirts of town stood a ship. Outside that ship sat Alex and her three men, seemingly enjoying what little of the planet there was to enjoy.

‘Boss.’

Alex looked up. In the wavering desert air she saw them approaching - the four aliens from the bar.

She stood, and her gang did the same. Alex took the paper from her back pocket and handed it to one of the men, to whom she whispered something. With a nod he took the paper and walked into the ship.

‘You guys need something?’ she shouted out.

The four came to a stop when within earshot.

‘We want to ask about Vernasen Bryor,’ Sung replied.

‘I told you to stay out of it.’

‘Once we have our answers we’ll get outta your hair,’ said Meouch.

‘You guys really don’t get it, do you?’ The men who remained stepped forward. ‘If you stick your nose where it doesn’t belong, there _will_ be repercussions.’

‘If this is what we’ve gotta do for info, so be it.’

One of the men ran at the four, fist raised.

In the shadow of the ship stood a replica of Doctor Sung. When the entrance opened up and the man went inside, he waited a few seconds and ducked in.

The ship’s interior, unlike the exterior, felt warm and well-loved. Not a chip or dent could be found, nor the smallest speck of dirt or mud.

But he wasn’t there to appreciate their interior design skills.

The covert mission had officially begun.

The ship itself wasn’t extremely big - that being said, there was still room enough for at least the four to exist without being cramped.

Despite the apparent lack of the presence of others, Sung hid around corners, behind furniture, under tables, as he made his way through the ship, checking every room along the way but finding no sign of the paper.

Until he reached the captain’s quarters.

He pressed the button beside the door and it slid up. Instead of yet another empty room he was faced by the third man.

‘You here for this?’ His voice was like a growl as he held up the paper, crumpled in his hand.

Doctor Sung nodded.

‘You ain’t gettin’ it easy.’

‘We can’t just talk it out?’

The man scowled.

‘Guess not.’

The man stepped towards Sung.

Phobos dodged a blow that had been aimed towards his stomach.

One of the men kicked and thrashed helplessly as Havve held him up by the shoulders, suspended in the air.

‘Let go!’ He shouted.

‘Only if ya promise not to fight us,’ said Meouch, who looked up to the man without fear.

‘In your dreams.’

Meouch smirked. ‘No deal.’

‘I’d really rather not hurt a woman.’ Sung held his hands up in a peaceful display, one still clutching the device. ‘Or anybody if I don’t have to, for that matter.’

‘You think I’m afraid of a fight?’ Alex punched towards Sung’s chin. Sung leaned away from the blow.

‘Not in the slightest,’ he replied. ‘ _I’m_ afraid of being held accountable if something happens.’

‘Come on. Fight like a man.’

‘If you insist.’

The next moments passed as though time had slowed.

Sung kicked towards Alex; a gentle motion, considering the power he knew himself capable of.

Alex staggered back.

Sung’s hand opened up and the device fell to the ground.

His foot came back down to the ground.

And he heard a _crunch_.

The clone flickered.

Such odd behaviour elicited hesitation from the man on the ship. Sung’s clone took his chance to deliver a harsh blow to the side of his face, temporarily knocking him to the ground.

Sung tore the paper from the man’s hand and made a hasty escape before he had time to recover.

Alex’s elbow crashed into Sung’s back, sending him down.

‘Stop!’ he exclaimed. ‘We yield.’

Meouch turned his head. ‘We do?’

‘We don’t care about Verna-whoever anymore.’

**We don’t?**

Sung crawled up onto his knees.

‘But we were so close to-’

‘You said it yourself, Commander. There’s no shame in retreating.’

Havve dropped the man, who stumbled into his regular standing position.

Alex smiled. ‘So much for that.’ She walked to the ship, beckoning to the others. ‘We’ve got more important things to do.’

As Alex and her gang left, Phobos, Meouch, and Havve gathered around Sung.

‘So what’s your reason for withdrawin’?’

Sung gathered up the pieces of the device into his hands and made a vain attempt to put it back together. ‘It’s broken.’

‘Geez, Doc. You got butterfingers or somethin’?’

Sung shot Meouch a glare.

**So what about the clone?** Phobos asked.

‘Mission accomplished.’

The four jumped as the clone jogged towards them.

‘What are you doing here?’ Sung asked, taken aback.

‘What do you mean?’ The clone held up the paper. ‘I did what I was asked. Grab the paper and return to the group.’

‘That’s not what I mean. The device, it’s been destroyed, you shouldn’t-’ Sung sighed. ‘I guess instead of disappearing, the clone stays around until we can press the button again. Well, let’s get back to the mothership and we can sort this out there. We got what we came for, and we should get outta here before Alex realises something’s missing.’

Sharing an individual ship with another adult was not a comfortable affair, as Sung unfortunately discovered. The knees of his clone pressed into his back, and steering required expertise when your elbows were almost parallel with your hands.

Thankfully, the return to the mothership took no longer than fifteen minutes.

Phobos tapped the clone on the shoulder. **Let me see the paper.**

‘I think I’d rather get this situation sorted first,’ said the original. ‘The paper can come later.’

‘He’s not hurtin’ anyone,’ Meouch argued. ‘Besides, maybe it’ll be nice to have someone else around.’

**I think one Doctor Sung is enough for me.**

Sung sighed. ‘Alright, let’s have it.’

The clone handed Phobos the paper, who opened it up and read it over. Meouch peered over Phobos’ shoulder.

‘“Bryor captured by politically motivated gang on Serak”,’ Meouch read. ‘That’s all it says.’

Phobos handed the paper to Havve. **It’s not much to go on.**

‘But we have a planet,’ said the original Sung, ‘which we can investigate once we get the device back together.’

‘Actually,’ the clone piped up, ‘I’m against that idea.’

All heads turned to the clone. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Well, the ride back to the ship had me thinking. It’s pretty nice being alive, isn’t it? I’d rather that than being data in some device.’

‘But you’re not _really_ alive,’ corrected the original Sung. ‘You’re still data whether you’re inside the device or not.’

‘But in there I have no senses, no thoughts. Out here I _do_. I know that none of you can understand, but it’s much less bleak out here.’

‘We can compromise. I’ll work on fixing the device and once it’s been restored to working condition, I’ll give you three more hours out here before I send you back-’

‘I have a counteroffer. You throw the remains of your device in the trash, and let me live my own life as my own person. How’s that?’

‘Well that’s not really a counter-’

The clone smiled. ‘Excellent.’ He turned to Meouch. ‘What was that planet you mentioned?’

‘Uh, I think it was Serak…’

‘Thanks. Sung, I’m borrowing our ship.’ The clone turned on his heels and ran towards the bays.

‘That’s my ship!’ Sung made to run after him but felt the cold, metallic hand of Havve Hogan on his shoulder.

‘You’re not gonna catch him,’ Meouch informed. ‘You’re only as fast as he is.’

‘We’ve gotta go after him.’

**He’s you - what’s the worst he’s going to do?**

‘We have to go to Serak anyway,’ Sung said, sounding resigned. ‘We can look for Vernasen _and_ my clone.’

‘It sounds like you could use a break.’

‘We don’t have _time_ for-’

**It sounds like others are looking for Vernasen, and your clone surely won’t cause any trouble. We can take our time.**

Sung sighed, but he knew they were right.


	2. Chapter 2

Gloomy grey buildings loomed over an urban cityscape. Snow rained down onto Serak’s capital, a stark contrast to the planet’s distant sandy neighbour.

Doctor Sung, Lord Phobos, and Commander Meouch all shivered, teeth chattering in the freezing cold. Havve, on the other hand, appeared to have not been inconvenienced in the slightest.

**We should have done some research before coming here.** Phobos’ hands shook as he signed.

‘We didn’t have time,’ Sung said, about as shakily as Phobos had been. ‘If we waited, he could have escaped off the planet.’

‘You think he would’ve?’ asked Meouch. ‘I don’t think he’s tryin’ to escape. He’s just tryin’ to live.’

‘All he is, is a bunch of data masquerading as a person, and it still hasn’t been tested in a safe environment. Now that the device that controlled him has been destroyed, we  _ truly _ don’t know what he’s capable of. We can’t take any chances.’

**I don’t think we should take any chances in this cold, either.**

Sung nodded. ‘Maybe the clone isn’t our  _ first _ priority.’

Compared to the city’s snowy exterior, the store filled them with a warmth that heated them to the very core. Various jackets and coats hung from the walls, and folded shirts resting on the tables around the store. In the windows were superbly dressed mannequins, to which people could gaze in and dare to dream of being so stylish.

The four (or rather, the three who required warmth to survive) didn’t make too big a fuss about the shopping trip, knowing that they had more important objectives to take care of. Purchases were made quickly - including Havve’s who, despite his own inbuilt heating, wanted to feel included and insisted on purchasing a black scarf and beanie set for himself.

‘You really liked these, huh?’ The salesclerk smiled as she scanned Sung’s items.

‘Well, they are my favourite colour,’ he replied. ‘But that’s purely coincidental - I would’ve had to buy something so I didn’t freeze to death anyway.’

‘Most people don’t buy two sets of something unless they really like it.’

‘Oh, did I accidentally pick up more?’ Sung rifled through his purchases. ‘I really only need the one-’

‘No, no, there’s only one here, but you picked up the same thing, like, ten minutes ago, so I thought-’

‘Look, what’s your name?’ He looked at her name badge. ‘Phoebe? Phoebe. This is the first time I’ve been here. You must have me confused for somebody else.’

‘How many other people make a fashion statement out of a cone?’ queried the male salesclerk as he closed the register. ‘It’s a bold statement, for sure. I wouldn’t forget it in a thousand years, so I  _ definitely _ haven’t forgotten it in the ten minutes since I served you.’

‘We  _ just _ got here,’ Sung argued, ‘so I  _ know _ I haven’t set foot in this store before. What, do you think there’s some copy of me just-’ he sighed. ‘ _ Damn it _ .’

‘You’ll have to excuse my friend,’ interjected Meouch with a smirk as he put a hand on Sung’s shoulder. ‘He’s got short term memory loss.’

‘No I-’

‘It’s  _ really _ bad. Can’t help but feel sorry for the guy.’

Phoebe let out a silent  _ oh _ . ‘No, that’s fine, I - I totally get it.’

‘I’ll just pay for these now,’ Sung mumbled. ‘Sorry.’

‘C’mon,’ said Meouch, ‘let’s get rugged up then get somethin’ to clear your head.’

Sung sat in the coffee shop with his head in his hands as he let out a sigh. ‘I can’t believe he spent my money.’

**Technically speaking it would belong to both of you, wouldn’t it?** Phobos suggested.  **He is you, after all.**

Resigned, Sung responded, ‘He’s not me, he’s a  _ clone _ . There’s a difference.’

Phobos stared.

‘Saying he  _ is _ me implies that he came from an alternate dimension,’ Sung argued. ‘Or something to that effect. But he didn’t - he’s nothing but data. He was created in mere minutes, and it should have taken  _ seconds _ for him to be destroyed.’

The bell hanging against the door jingled as it opened.

Havve returned to the table with two orders and passed them to Phobos and Meouch.

‘Mine isn’t ready yet?’ Sung asked, and Havve shook his head.

‘Don’t look now,’ said Meouch, eyes following the newcomer across the room, ‘but that pile of data just entered.’

Sung groaned.

‘Order for… Doctor Sung?’

He stood from his seat.

‘Yeah.’

But it was not Doctor Sung who had opened his mouth.

Rather it was the clone, wearing winter clothing identical to Sung’s, with cockiness in his stride as he walked towards the order pickup area.

‘No you don’t,’ said Sung through gritted teeth, racing over - or as much as was socially acceptable in the small area - to the counter.

The clone reached his hand out to the cup.

Doctor Sung leaned his body forward as he, too, outstretched his arm.

The clone’s fingers came towards the barista’s.

And Sung put his hand around the cup, claiming the prize as his own - if only barely.

The barista - who had not yet let go of the order herself - looked between the identical men.

‘Um…’ she began meekly. ‘This order is for Doctor Sung.’

‘I’m Doctor Sung,’ answered the two, almost in time with one another.

‘So a- are you two twins, or from the same circus, or-’

‘Please ignore my  _ friend _ ,’ said the frustrated original Sung, ‘he’s a clone.’

‘Oh-’

‘That’s not a very kind thing to say!’ exclaimed the clone, taken aback. ‘How many clones lead their own lives?’

‘So are you both doctors, did you study at the same-’

‘You don’t lead your own life,’ retorted the original. ‘You’re trying to steal mine!’

‘I think I’ll just-’ the barista let go of the cup, leaving it in Sung’s hand.

‘Well, it was a fair fight,’ said the copy.

‘A  _ fight _ ? That wasn’t a fight, you tried to steal the order that  _ I _ paid for!’

‘With our money.’

**I told him,** signed Phobos, though this went unseen by Sung.

‘It’s mine! You didn’t earn it!’

The clone sighed. ‘Well, I know when I’ve been beat.’ The clone held out his hand as though to shake Sung’s, though what happened next was catastrophic.

Instead of aiming for his free hand, the clone beelined for the hand with the cup.

‘Kudos, Doctor Sung.’

His hand came around Sung’s fingers and the cup, and began to squeeze as the clone shook Sung’s hand vigorously.

With enough pressure, the lid of the cup popped off and landed on the ground. With enough force, the handshake came back up and coffee flew onto Sung’s new coat.

‘What the-’

With a grin, the clone turned to leave. ‘I’ll see you around.’

‘You alright, Doc?’ asked Meouch as he and the others walked over. Patrons of the coffee shop who had seen the fiasco stared with mixed reactions of shock and disgust.

‘Did you see that?’ was all Sung could manage.

**He took that too far.**

‘Now do you agree that he’s not  _ just _ me? This is why I wanted to test the device before using it in a real world situation.’

‘He is more troublesome than I would’ve thought,’ Meouch agreed. ‘But I’m still not sure he’d be capable of anything destructive.’

‘But he  _ is _ a menace, and he wasn’t a menace before. I don’t know if I’d be comfortable with letting him roam free when we’re not sure what he could evolve into.’ Sung paused. ‘I’m going after him, before this can escalate.’

**Let us help you.**

Sung shook his head. ‘You three have another mission to take care of - the clone is my problem. I have to deal with him on my own.’

‘We’re a team,’ argued Meouch, ‘we do this together.’

‘Vernasen Bryor is more important. Besides, he  _ is _ my clone - I already know everything he’s capable of.’

Silence for a brief moment, and then, ‘Take care.’

**Good luck.**

And Havve placed a hand on Sung’s shoulder, to which Sung looked up to his robotic friend and nodded.

‘Thank you. All the best on your mission, too.’

Sung made for the door. As he did, a man approached the other three and said, ‘Sorry, did I hear you guys say you were looking for Vernasen Bryor?’

The bell on the door jingled as Sung exited. On a fairly busy city street like this one, finding any one person in particular - even someone made more recognisable by the cone atop their head - was going to be a difficult task. And given that his doppelganger already had a head start, Sung knew that he had to get moving.

‘Excuse me.’ Sung pulled over a couple walking by. ‘Have you seen this man?’

He was met with furrowed brows. This was a fair reaction, as such remarks were usually followed with the showing of an image, of which this man had none.

‘Let me elaborate - he looks just like me, wearing the exact same clothing.’

‘I think you need to look in the mirror.’ And the couple continued along the way.

And Doctor Sung realised that this endeavour might be more difficult than he had first thought.

He looked either way - holding on to the slim chance that perhaps the clone was still in sight - and settled for heading to the right.

Sung shoved his hands into his pockets and nestled his head into his scarf. Despite remaining vigilant in his search for the clone, the thought of returning to the coffee shop was awfully tempting.

‘Hey!’

Getting another cup of coffee, getting to sit down and enjoy it with his friends as they prepared for what would inevitably be an exciting, once-in-a-lifetime rescue mission…

‘Hey you, cone head!’

Sung looked around to see the gruff man stomping over to him.

‘You think you’re tough?’

‘Well, I-’

‘Do you get some kinda satisfaction from making my wife cry?’

‘What? No!’ Sung raised his hands. ‘I’d never want to make  _ anybody  _ cry, let alone-’

The man lashed his hand out at Sung’s wrist and grabbed it tight. Sung gritted his teeth.

‘You’re gonna come with me and apologise, or this is gonna get  _ a lot _ worse for you. Got it?’

‘Sure, but could you let go of-’ the man began dragging Sung along. ‘Okay, guess not.’

The man’s wife sat on the edge of a frozen fountain in the middle of the inner city park. In her hand was a tissue, which she used to dry the last of her tears around puffy, red eyes.

He pushed Sung towards his wife. ‘Go on, apologise. Or else.’

Sung took the last few steps towards the wife and kneeled down to her eye level. He began in a soothing tone, ‘Hi, I’m  _ really _ sorry for what happened. I’m not quite sure why you’re crying, or what I did, but-’

‘What do you  _ mean _ you’re not sure?’ sneered the wife. ‘Are you some kind of a  _ monster _ ?’

‘Well, not me personally, but I’m happy to-’

‘Do I need to remind you of what you did?’ the husband growled.

‘No, I-’ Sung sighed. ‘I have short term memory loss. I’m  _ extremely _ sorry if I did something to hurt you. I’m trying to manage it but without my friends…’

Both man and woman stared.

‘Get outta my sight,’ the man snarled. ‘You’re on thin ice. If I see you here again-’

‘You won’t, you have my word,’ Sung replied as he scrambled up. ‘Or I’ll do my  _ very _ best not to get in your way.’

Sung huffed as he hurried away; his clone had such little time on his own, yet he’d already managed to cause so much mischief.

He’d have to find him before he could cause too much trouble. But the only lead he had was a disgruntled man and his sobbing wife, and this city…

Sung looked down the bustling street.

This city was so large, he had little hope of just happening across the clone.

And what if he was headed in the wrong direction? What if the clone had returned to the ship and had decided to pester people on another planet, where there was no chance of being found by his pursuer? There were too many variables, and Sung’s search relied heavily upon chance.

Nearby, two teenage girls whispered amongst themselves.

‘Go on, Clara…’

‘No.’ She laughed nervously. ‘I couldn’t.’

‘Dare ya.’ Clara was pushed towards Sung.

‘E- Excuse me.’

Sung was pulled from his train of thought and looked to the teenager.

‘You’re the man who went up to the tower before, aren’t you?’

‘The tower?’

‘Yeah.’ Clara pointed to the tallest building in sight, off on the horizon. ‘I just wanted to ask how you managed to get past all the security.’

‘What?’

‘Oh, maybe I have the wrong person. I just assumed, because of the cone…’

Sung shook his head. ‘I know you don’t know it, but you’ve helped me a lot. What would be the fastest way to get to that tower?’

‘Um, probably the bus… There’s a stop, right over there.’

Sung left her, uttering a small thanks as he did.

The tower was so far away, yet the end to his mission had never looked closer.

In a city that had seemed so full of life, the tower’s interior was a stark contrast; the white walls seemed almost  _ too _ white, the chairs provided for waiting giving a false sense of comfort, and the smiles of staff almost seemed artificial.

‘Good afternoon,’ chimed the receptionist behind the main desk. ‘How may I help you-’ the smile she wore faltered for only the briefest of moments before returning to its unnatural state. ‘I’m sorry, sir, but I must ask you to leave.’

‘I know what you’re thinking.’ Sung placed his hands on the counter. To his right sat a clipboard with some kind of form clipped to it, along with a pen chained to the counter. ‘That man who came in before - he’s not me.’

‘It goes against company policy to say such things of our clientele, but you must think me to be some kind of fool.’

‘No, I promise, I don’t, please just hear me out.’

‘Security?’

‘No, please-’

‘What’s the problem?’

A man who was taller and, by all means, more intimidating than Sung approached. He lifted an eyebrow as he looked at Sung. ‘How’d you get back down here?’

‘Please just listen to me,’ Sung pleaded. ‘That man was  _ not _ me. I know he looks like me and might have all the same mannerisms, but he’s not me. He’s just a clone. Look, I’m trying to get him back, so if you can just tell me where he is, I can put an end to this.’

‘You think I’m an idiot?’

‘No, of course not!’ Sung peeked around the man and spotted the elevator. Two other men stood on either side. ‘Look, if I went up the elevator - that’s what you said, isn’t it? - then how would I have gotten back down without being noticed? It wouldn’t be possible!’

The security guard stared at Sung, who looked nervously back. The guard hmm’d for a moment before finally speaking up. ‘Elevator’s off limits to the public.’

Sung groaned.

‘Then why is  _ he _ up there?’

‘It’s confidential.’

‘But he could be up to  _ anything _ -’

‘The proper authorities have been notified.’

An odd silence filled the air. The tapping of feet, of computer keys, but not a word was uttered amongst people.

Sung closed his eyes.

The elevator dinged.

It almost felt as though he were in an alternate dimension.

Hurried footsteps rushed away, towards the exit.

His eyes snapped back open. With a serious edge to his tone Sung demanded, ‘I  _ must _ get up that elevator.’

‘Not on my watch.’

‘Well what if I were to…’ Sung grabbed the clipboard and dropped it to the ground.

‘Pick that up.’

Sung huffed and did as commanded. But instead of placing the clipboard back on the counter, Sung stared the security guard in the eyes and unclipped the papers, which fell to the ground and slid about the tiles.

The receptionist let out a little, ‘Oh…’

And yet, nobody budged.

‘Is that not enough?’ Sung’s voice was soft, but it raised as he began to shout, ‘Isn’t it enough?’ He grabbed the pen and forced the chain to its limits.

But it didn’t break.

‘Oh, come on…’

Sung yanked the pen again and again, yet there was no sign of potential breakage.

He flung the pen down, and it clanked against the side of the desk.

‘You have to leave,’ demanded the security guard.

‘You can’t make me. Nobody here can make me leave!’ The security by the elevator looked over. ‘And I won’t leave until my demands are met!’

‘What’s going on?’ grumbled one of the guards. Both men from the elevator had approached.

‘I’ll tell you what’s going on!’ Sung continued to shout. ‘Nobody will listen to me! I have important business here!’

‘Sir, we’re going to ask you once more to leave before we use force.’

Sung huffed. ‘You want me to leave? Fine, I’m going.’ He moved towards the door, angling himself slightly as he walked, and turned to face the guards. ‘But you can expect me back here, I won’t give up.’

The guards watched as Sung slowly made for the door.

And then made a rush for the elevator.

The guards, realising the situation, dashed for Sung.

Sung jabbed his thumb on the elevator’s up button.

The doors began to open.

One of the guards jumped at the intruder.

Sung slipped into the elevator and jabbed at the close doors button, and pressed the first button he saw.

And he sighed a breath of relief as the elevator took him to the roof.

The elevator doors slid open. Unlike the sterile white interior, such colouration here was caused by the falling snow which crunched beneath his feet. At the edge of the roof, watching clouds roll by a grey sky, stood Doctor Sung’s clone.

‘It’s a wonderful day, isn’t it?’ spoke the clone.

‘This is the end of the road,’ said Sung, approaching with caution. ‘Come back with me and we can sort everything out.’

‘That’s where you’re wrong, Doctor. You see, I’ve had time to think.’ Sung’s clone turned to face him. ‘And I quite like being my own person. We might share appearances, but that’s all. I’m sure you’ve been able to tell by now, but I’ve become something you never could.’

‘You’re right, I could never be this much of a pain in the arse.’

‘-I’m my own person, with my own dreams and desires.’

‘Alright, I’ll shoot. What is it that you dream of?’

‘You see all those people out there? You agree that they are destroyers of worlds, don’t you?’

‘Well I wouldn’t go that far, but people  _ have _ made mistakes in the past - that’s how planets end up uninhabitable.  _ I _ wish that people would change their ways, to create more sustainable living spaces.’

‘But those problems wouldn’t exist on such a grand scale if people were just a little… well, little.’

‘Oh no…’

‘My dream, Doctor Sung, is societal ensmallment. If the people are shrunk down, then so are the problems they can cause.’

‘You’re… you’re crazy! You’re just a defective clone. You’re coming with me, no ifs or buts. The cloning device was a terrible idea from the start.’

‘I’m no clone anymore - I’m my very own person, as I’ve just demonstrated, and so to celebrate, I’ve given myself a new name, different from yours.’

Sung sighed. ‘Alright, I’ll humour you this much. What is it?’

‘You may call me Pyramid Scheme.’

Silence.

The one who was once (and still was, for all intents and purposes) a clone could feel the judging stare of Doctor Sung.

‘What?’

‘It’s just… Pyramid Scheme? Was that the best you could come up with?’

‘What’s wrong with it?’

‘No, nothing, it’s your name, and it will be for the next hour or so.’ Sung walked forward. ‘Now come on, Pyramid Scheme, we can reveal your new identity to the others.’

Pyramid Scheme grinned. ‘You’ll have to catch me first.’

And he jumped from the rooftop.


	3. Chapter 3

Pyramid Scheme was gone.

When Doctor Sung looked over the side of the building he saw neither hide nor hair of his clone-gone-rogue. Whether it was pre-planned or a trick of the eye Sung couldn’t say, but he knew that his time would be short.

Pyramid Scheme would be on the run, setting up his plans before Sung could reach him.

If he only accomplished one thing here, it was that he could not allow his clone to succeed.

Going back down the elevator, Sung sighed. He knew that security would be on him the moment the doors opened. What he had done to get to the rooftop wasn’t something he took pride in, but it was something that needed to be done for the sake of the people.

The elevator dinged, and the doors opened.

Sung raised his hands above his head.

The security guards jumped at him, and Sung was tackled to the ground.

‘You’re comin’ with us,’ grumbled one of the guards.

‘I’ll gladly go with if you get off me.’

The guard got up and yanked Sung by the arm and began marching him through the building.

‘Doc?’

Sung looked around to see his friends sitting in the waiting area. He stopped, much to the guard’s annoyance, as the three approached.

Meouch looked as surprised as Sung. ‘What’re you doin’ here?’

‘I’m tracking down Pyramid Scheme.’

‘Who?’

‘You know, the clone?’

Meouch furrowed his brow.

‘Anyway, I could ask the same for you.’

**We’ve narrowed down the location of Vernasen Bryor,** Phobos explained.  **We have reason to believe that he’s somewhere in this building - or, at least, within its vicinity. We think something big is going to go down if we don’t find him soon.**

‘Enough lollygagging.’ The guard pulled Sung by the arm again.

‘You get in trouble or somethin’?’

Sung gave a small nod as he was dragged off.

‘Wait, wait.’ Meouch ran in front of the guard. ‘You’ve got the wrong guy.’

The guard raised a brow. ‘Whaddya mean? He came out of a restricted area, he’s the one we want.’

‘He’s been havin’ some…  _ issues _ with a runaway clone.’

‘You expect me to believe that?’

**It’s the truth,** Phobos signed as he came to stand by Meouch’s side.  **If you don’t let our friend go, there could be terrible consequences.**

‘Is that a threat?’

**No, no!** he signed rapidly, getting flustered.  **I wouldn’t dare-**

‘Please trust me,’ Sung pleaded. ‘I wouldn’t have  _ ever _ tried to get into a restricted area if it wasn’t in the best interest of the people.’

‘What’ll it take to convince ya?’ Meouch asked. ‘Fifty, sixty thousand creds-’

**We don’t have that kind of money. Besides, you shouldn’t be bribing people.**

‘He doesn’t know that - or didn’t. Well, how ‘bout this? Havve.’

Havve, who seemed busy looking about the premises as though there was actually something interesting about it, looked over and joined the others.

Meouch put a hand on Havve’s closest shoulder joint. ‘Our friend here can be  _ very _ persuasive.’

Havve stared the security guard down with lifeless red eyes.

The guard stared back.

The two were locked in a needless staring match.

Until the guard finally let go of Sung.

‘Alright.’ He broke his eye contact with Havve and turned to Sung. ‘But don’t think you’re welcome here ever again. If I see you again I won’t go so easy on you. Got that?’

‘Thank you.’

The guard walked back to his post.

‘Well, obviously I can’t stay here,’ said Sung to the others. ‘Thanks for your help.’

**What about the clone?** Phobos asked.

‘I found him, but he got away. I’m still looking for him. You guys keep searching for Vernasen Bryor - this is personal.’

Doctor Sung was gone before anybody could protest.

_ Where could he have gone? _

Sung huffed and his breath fogged up into a fine mist, which slowly faded into the icy city air.

_ The ensmallment of an entire civilisation isn’t an easy task. Doing it one by one would surely raise suspicion. If he doesn’t want to cause mass panic or evacuation, he’d need to gather everybody into one place. _

‘Doctor Sung?’

He offered the barista a small smile as she placed the mug on the table.

_ Or he’d need a body ensmallment machine large enough to encapsulate the planet. Even if he had the time, we both know for a fact that’s impossible. _

Sung took a sip of his coffee. Hot, but not boiling. Bitter, which was the exact word to describe how he was feeling about all of this, too.

_ So that leaves him with only one choice. But how does someone who’s nothing more than a stranger and a newcomer gather all those people? _

He couldn’t say that he knew this place well. Pyramid Scheme had been out and about doing as he pleased this whole time - while he thought it unlikely, it was entirely possible that he had a better idea of the space than Sung did. He’d spent so much time being pulled around and waiting for coffee that Pyramid Scheme could be leagues ahead of him.

_ When it comes down to it, he’s still a clone. He’s still me, and I know myself better than anybody else. If I were to ensmall an entire planet’s population, I’d want a wide open space where people would gather on their own accord. _

The mug he held warmed his gloves.

_ I know where he’s been, to some extent. The best place that would match that description would be… _

Realisation dawned upon him.

In many cultures and on many planets, parks were a place that people were free to frolic as they pleased. Children would run and laugh as they played merrily together, couples would sit together on picnic blankets on first, second or even thirtieth dates. They were always centres of such bustling joy and commotion, and this planet was completely different.

Perhaps it was because this planet was akin to a frozen tundra or maybe it was that people here didn’t know how to have fun, but very little seemed to be happening in the inner city park. People walked around the outskirts but seemed determined on avoiding the park itself as though misfortune would befall any who stepped foot into its boundaries.

_ He’s not here now,  _ Sung thought,  _ but he will be. He has a body ensmaller to create - I know that’s no small task. _

Not a soul in sight, except…

‘Oh no.’

‘What did I tell you?’ the man shouted across the park as he stormed up to Sung. ‘You promised not to come back, then you  _ did _ -’

Sung put his hands up. ‘No, no, I didn’t think-’

‘You didn’t think  _ what _ ? That stealing from us  _ wouldn’t _ land you in hot water?’

Sung stepped back as the other man closed in.

‘Hey, I think I’d remember stealing from you-’ Nope, that directly contradicted his memory loss story. ‘-I mean, you can check my pockets, I don’t have  _ any _ stolen material, I  _ swear _ .’

‘You really think I’m gonna fall for that? You coulda stashed it away by now!’

‘Okay, alright, you - how about you tell me what I took and I’ll go find it?’

‘So you can just disappear again?’ The man gripped Sung by the wrist. Hard.

Sung gritted his teeth.

‘You think I’m that stupid? You stole our tickets for Bryor’s speech, you’re just gonna leave us and go there!’

‘Wait, Bryor?’

Now  _ that _ was interesting.

‘I’m sorry.’

‘You’re going to -  _ ow _ !’ The man let go of Sung’s wrist as a sharp pain coursed through his foot, which had been caused by Sung stomping his boot down atop it.

Doctor Sung fled, running faster than he ever had before.

He’d been granted a vital piece of information - an important government official had not only been kidnapped, but was now on this planet and about to give some kind of speech. He didn’t know the specifics of Bryor’s employ - whether he was beloved by many or hated by all - but an announcement by a politician was  _ always _ seen as an event of importance in the eyes of the people. It was bound to draw a crowd.

_ It seems he’s one step ahead of me. _

Sung ducked and weaved in and out of people, turned corners and went down streets which were unfamiliar to him.

He looked behind him and, unable to see his pursuer any longer, Sung doubled over with hands on knees as he huffed until he regained his composure.

He stood up tall once more and realised that he was well and truly lost.

‘Ex-’ Sung puffed as he tried to keep up with a passerby, ‘-excuse me, do you know where- where Vernasen Bryor’s speech is being held?’

‘Hm?’ They stopped. ‘Oh, it says on the ticket, right?’

‘Yeah, about that, ah… I’m actually part of the opening band.’

‘The… opening band?’

Sung smiled.

‘For a political speech?’

He nodded. ‘Yeah, we said the same thing but he wanted to go with another angle. You know, the kids like music, gotta spice politics up for the younger generation somehow, y’know?’

They furrowed their brow, pursed their lips. If this interrogation were to go on any longer, Sung would surely start sweating and shaking.

‘I’m not very good with directions. I really shoulda stayed with my band but, you know,’ Sung held up his coffee mug, ‘had to refuel.’

‘It’s at the arena, you know where that is?’

‘No, I’m not from around here.’

‘Alright, would it be better if I wrote the directions down or-’

‘Would you?’

They pulled a pen and small notepad from their pocket.

‘You’re… prepared.’

‘Gotta be ready for anything. Here.’ They handed the paper to Sung, who took it with gusto.

‘Thank you so much. I’d better be off.’

‘Yeah, can’t wait to see the performance.’

‘The wh- oh, yeah, yeah, thanks!’ And Sung broke out into a jog.

The arena filled with people, slowly but surely, as the sun began to set, casting it in shadow. Many appeared to be residents of this planet, while others had probably come from afar to be privy to the speech.

Sung got in line, knowing already that this was a terrible idea. The theme of the day had been lying and sneaking, so why would this be any different? He had no ticket and he certainly didn’t want to pickpocket anybody in line. Sneaking into an off limits elevator was one thing, stealing from somebody and potentially ruining their entire day was another.

One by one he came closer and closer to the entrance, the separated lines almost moving in unison as people marched in.

What was he going to say? What was he going to  _ do _ ? If the tower was so heavily guarded, the event of an important politician would be even more so. There wouldn’t be any talking his way into - or out of - this one.

‘Ticket.’

‘I - you see, the thing is-’

‘No, let him in,’ said a man as he continued scanning tickets. ‘He’s the one I let in before.’

‘Are you sure? Wasn’t he wearing something different before?’

‘You think I could ever forget that stupid cone? Let the man in.’

The ticket scanner hesitated before waving Sung through.

That was  _ much _ easier than he thought.

Sung followed the crowd, almost being forced along by the hundreds of people trying to make their way down the stairs and to the seating.

The arena opened up from the enclosed halls to an exterior stadium, the roof to which was currently open. On the ground was an elevated stage, a podium centered in it and, standing above that, a large screen with the stage televised.

Seats had almost completely filled, and attendees chatted amongst each other.

Sung stood almost helplessly, near shocked at the turnout a single politician could muster.

A hushed silence fell over the crowd in waves, and Vernasen Bryor - from the same race as the overly-covered, desert-faring people of Thauron-V, stepped up to the podium.

But something didn’t look right - he didn’t know if those in attendance could tell, but Vernasen’s hands had a slight tremor which was visible as he reached for his notes and a small tremble to his voice as he pulled down the covering around his mouth and spoke.

‘My esteemed guests.’ His voice was deep, almost distorted. Not at all what Sung had expected those people to sound like. ‘I - I thank you for coming out here today.’ The voice sent a shiver down his spine.

He couldn’t listen to this. He had more important matters to tend to.

Sung ascended back up the stairs and into the interior halls of the stadium.

But where to go next?

Pyramid Scheme would need somewhere with a vantage point, where he could see all of his targets without being disturbed or spotted. The stadium was large and it would be difficult to check every nook and cranny and, with the open-roof scheme, there were no walkways like an indoor venue might have.

_ Wait, that’s it. _

_ The roof. _

Sung ran through the halls, weaving in and out of the people who were still walking to their seats, dodging those who were just milling about.

Of  _ course _ that was the obvious place for Pyramid Scheme to carry out his plan.

Locating the fire exit, Doctor Sung slammed the door open and rapidly climbed the stairs.

Where else would he be able to do something so evil in peace?

His calves began to burn, breathing becoming heavy as he continued up the countless flights of stairs. He looked upwards and could see no definitive end to his climb.

Knowing that he was the only one who could save an entire civilisation was what kept him going.

When he reached the top, he wanted nothing more than to kick the door open in a grand arrival. However, he was aware that conserving his energy was the best choice; who knew what Pyramid Scheme had in store for him?

He pushed the heavy door open with an arm, his other hand on his knee as he regained his breath.

A strong gust pushed at Doctor Sung as he left the safety of the stairwell’s interior, as though it were trying to push him downwards, to the ground that sat almost one hundred metres below. But he kept himself steady, a wide stance assisting his balance as he quickly surveyed the area.

And sure enough, standing beside a machine which resembled something out of a Bond movie was-

‘Pyramid Scheme!’

He looked up from his project as Doctor Sung shouted over the billowing winds and smiled. No longer was he wearing the oranges and yellows that would remind one of the Doctor, but was instead dressed with black on his cone and his clothes, punctuated with white.

‘Ah, Doctor Sung, you’ve decided to join me.’ Had Pyramid Scheme gone for a complete costume change, Sung wouldn’t have been able to recognise him anymore. There was something in the way he spoke, something which nobody would ever find when Sung addressed a room.

It was the unmistakable tinge of evil.

‘Come to watch me carry out the plan that you never could.’

‘This isn’t something I would have dared to dream,’ Sung snarled. ‘I may have considered the benefits of ensmallment out of curiosity, but  _ never _ would I have  _ ever _ imagined ruining the lives of thousands of people!’

‘No, no, no, Doctor Sung, I don’t think you see. This will be an improvement. Once that’s seen to be true,  _ all _ the world leaders will be lining up for their planets to have the ensmallment treatment. Look at all the people down there, Doctor.’

Sung  _ did _ look over but dared not to approach the edge, lest it was Pyramid Scheme’s way of ridding of someone he may consider a menace. They watched Bryor’s performance before them and on the large screen. Bryor raised his hands into the air, which trembled somewhat as he did so.

‘Body ensmallment, as I’m aware you know, should be a painless procedure. They won’t feel a thing. Sure, they might panic for a moment, but they’ll realise that this is for their own good once all is said and done.’

Sung looked back to Pyramid Scheme. ‘You know, I once thought that you weren’t anything other than identical to me, and you weren’t. I thought that you would be able to see reason and that we could get all of this sorted out quickly. We’d fix the device, return you and take you out every so often when we needed. I wanted to believe the best in you as I would anybody, but now I realise that I’ve been far too lenient with you. One way or another, Pyramid Scheme, this ends now.’

Doctor Sung ran at Pyramid Scheme and swung a fist, narrowly missing the side of his face. Sung, who was still recovering from his stair climb, remained hunched.

Pyramid Scheme offered a smirk. ‘I take it we’re not playing nice anymore? Very well.’ Pyramid Scheme slammed a knee into Sung’s stomach.

Sung grunted as the impact hit him. He faltered back, standing up straight once again. ‘We wouldn’t have to fight if you would come peacefully.’

‘But how could I do that? I have so many plans - not just for this world, but the  _ universe _ .’

‘I had a feeling you might say that.’

Sung feigned a punch to the right. Pyramid Scheme feinted to the left, and Sung retaliated with a blow in kind.

Pyramid Scheme grimaced as he held the side of his face.

Sung went in for another blow with a kick aimed towards Pyramid Scheme’s torso.

Pyramid Scheme grabbed Sung’s foot, and for a moment he swore time stood still.

That was, until his rival yanked his foot forward and his body hurtled towards the rooftop.

‘An eye for an eye.’

Pyramid Scheme seized the opportunity and kicked Sung while he was down, each one seemingly harder than the last.

Whenever Sung tried to get up, Pyramid Scheme would push him back down with a heavy boot.

With each kick, Doctor Sung cried out in pain.

And, in turn, each one pushed him a little closer to the edge of the open rooftop.

Sung heard a  _ crack _ from his side, but Pyramid Scheme was relentless.

Sung held his ribs where the pain ebbed. Now, his hand and fingers were also targeted by Pyramid Scheme’s blows.

He couldn’t see what laid before him, but Sung could feel that part of his body was suspended with no ground beneath him.

‘Any last words’--Pyramid Scheme winced as he spoke and held his face--‘Doctor Sung?’

Sung smiled, knowing that a face so similar to his yet full of so much evil intent might be the last thing he ever saw. ‘There’s no chance you’ll surrender peacefully, is there?’

Pyramid Scheme smiled - Sung could have sworn there was some emotion that portrayed something other than pessimism and negativity within. ‘Afraid not.’

And he gave Doctor Sung one last kick.

The rooftop was no longer beneath him.

Sung gripped the edge with lightning fast reflexes, but pain shot up his ribs and through to his fingertips.

His efforts were in vain.

He knew that he would not be able to hold on for long.

Pyramid Scheme looked over the side at him. ‘You just don’t know when to give up, do you?’

‘That’s how I got where I am today.’

‘Hanging precariously over a hundred metre drop?’

‘Precisely.’

‘Goodbye, Doctor Sung. Don’t come back this time.’

Pyramid Scheme lifted his foot.

Doctor Sung closed his eyes.

The fire door burst open, as though someone had kicked it - just like the move Sung had wanted to pull off earlier.

‘Stop!’ A familiar voice roared over the billowing gusts.

The drop that Sung had been expecting didn’t come. He opened his eyes.

Pyramid Scheme looked over to the fire door where Sung, following his gaze, saw Commander Meouch, Lord Phobos, and Havve Hogan.

‘Do you mind? We’re in the middle of something.’

The three inched forward.

**Perhaps we can talk this out.**

‘Trust me, your friend here has already tried that to no avail.’

Sung’s fingers began to slip.

‘No matter. I suppose it would only be right for you to see your friend off one last time.’

Pyramid Scheme lifted his foot once more.

And again Doctor Sung closed his eyes.

And-

There was a heavy thud.

-death did not come for him.

‘C’mon, buddy.’

Doctor Sung opened his eyes as Meouch grabbed one of his wrists, Phobos motioning to Sung to give him the other. ‘How’d you get yourself into a situation like this?’

‘It’s a long story, one which results in me needing medical attention.’

Sung looked over to Havve, just in time to see him getting back to his feet with Pyramid Scheme caught in his arms.

‘How’d you know to find me here?’

**Where else would you go if you were thinking up some scheme if you turned evil?**

Sung opened his mouth to protest, but soon closed it; he couldn’t exactly say that Phobos was wrong.

‘What about Vernasen Bryor?’

Meouch laughed. ‘Turns out there was nothing bein’ schemed. It was a false trail from the start.’

Sung looked back down to the address. ‘But he looks so…’

‘Nervous?’ Sung nodded. ‘He’s just always been like that.’

‘Why would you get into the public service if you couldn’t handle speaking to a crowd?’

Meouch shrugged. ‘Beats me. Now, what do you wanna do about your clone here?’

Pyramid Scheme struggled as best he could against Havve’s six spider-like arms. ‘Let go of me, you useless piece of metal!’ Such remarks only saw Havve’s grip tighten.

Sung wandered towards the ensmallment machine. ‘You know, I think Pyramid Scheme was right about one thing - I have always been curious about the ensmallment process. Of course, doing so on any living creature would be unethical.’

Pyramid Scheme stopped struggling. His expression dropped. ‘You wouldn’t-’

Sung smiled. ‘Luckily, we have someone who believes wholeheartedly in the benefits of body ensmallment right here. What would you say to being the test subject? I think that my friends might agree that one should always test their inventions on themselves first.’

Meouch smiled widely, revealing rows of sharp teeth, and Sung could feel Phobos’ humour from beneath his helmet. The two approached the machine and assisted Sung in turning it.

‘Now Havve, we need to make sure the machine doesn’t hit you, maybe hold him out? Yes, like that. Make sure he doesn’t escape if the ensmallment process succeeds.’

Phobos tapped Sung on the shoulder and gestured with a flourish of his hands to the lever.  **Would you care to do the honours?**

‘Gladly.’

Sung pulled the lever and the beam, while itself invisible, hit Pyramid Scheme and a faint glow encapsulated the struggling test subject.

Pyramid Scheme became smaller and smaller until he was little more than the size of a bug in Havve Hogan’s palm, which he enclosed before Pyramid Scheme could escape once more.

‘We’ll need to find something to put him in.’

‘Get a jar, poke some holes in the lid,’ Meouch joked. ‘And after that, how ‘bout finally gettin’ that coffee?’

Doctor Sung smiled.

‘I think I’d like that.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so it's over - at least, for now(?)
> 
> A big thank you to those who read this fic which was something I'd been wanting to write for ages, and an even bigger thank you to the wonderful artists who created the artwork for this fic, Escher and Corvus: https://twitter.com/escherbug/status/1331376255783071746
> 
> And also to Kizumess for creating the accompanying mix: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5NDTjiEAxQLIXSLnzQ8ajt?si=hx0eYJ_tSZmPesXsNkVSxg
> 
> And so I suppose, until the next fun little fic that I write! ♥


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